Terry Osburn-Sharff's Blog

When I was a young student in school studying ancient mythology, I always loved the fanciful tales and colorful characters, but couldn’t help but wonder why we call ancient Roman and Greek religious practices mythology and ancient Christian practices religion. If Christianity had not had such a powerful or successful PR machine behind it, we might all still be praying to Athena and worshiping Zeus, and the world’s few remaining pagans might not… Continue

Dale and Leilani Neumann of Wausau Wisconsin have been charged with 2nd degree reckless homicide for letting their 11 year old daughter die of diabetes while they prayed for her recovery rather than seeking medical care.

Their family’s attorney is fighting the case saying that the courts, if the charges are allowed to continue, will “become entangled in constitutionally protected religious matters.” because the charges “…unconstitutionally infringe on their right to freely… Continue

Five women, three of which were teenagers, were shot then buried alive in the Baluchistan province of Pakistan, as punishment for the crime of wanting to choose their own husbands.

The women were killed by tribesmen for the dishonor they brought upon their family and tribe by rebelling against tradition and refusing to accept arranged marriages. This week a Pakistani lawmaker, Isar Ullah Zehri, defended the actions taken by the tribesmen, and outraged fellow lawmakers by asking the… Continue

Luis De Jesus Miranda, minister of the Miami Growing in Grace church, gained international notoriety in 2004 by declaring himself to be Jesus Christ, and then later claiming to be the Antichrist. His theory: As he is the Second Coming, his teachings supersede those of Jesus.
His powerful and charismatic influence over the congregation of Growing Grace was in evidence when they all showed up, in mass, to get the numbers 666 tattooed on their bodies, in honor of their messiah. At home, he… Continue

The Vision Beyond Borders is a group based in Sheridan, Wyoming that distributes bibles and Christian teaching materials around the world. The VBB web site states:
Many of the six billion people on the earth have never heard of the name of Jesus Christ. The disciples were sent out to preach the Good News of Jesus to the far reaches of the world. We believe that Vision Beyond Borders is helping to fulfill that commission with the same urgency found in first-century… Continue

Greetings, Terry! I'd like to invite you to a group where we talk about anything on our minds, Hang With Friends. :D

Have you read Kari Marie Norgaard's new book on the sociology of climate denial? Living in Denial: Climate Change, Emotions, and Everyday Life. I think many of those mechanisms apply to the way theists deny reality too.